Ahmed Shaami
When you meet someone new, it takes a quick glance maybe just three seconds for someone to evaluate you. In this short period of time the other person forms an opinion of you based on your appearance, your demeanor, your mannerisms, and your body language. You get evaluated for every new encounter and another person’s impression of you is formed. These first encounters are extremely important as they set the tone for all the relationships that follow. In the business world, you just have seconds to exude trustworthiness and competence during a meeting. But once bad impressions are made due to some reason, they are not only tough to shake but have the tendency to create a self-filling feedback loop.
But research has proved that there are certain elements in your control and in order to nail a first good impression, the following is a short list to keep in mind:
Your dress code:
The research has proved that clothing has a great impact on how you are judged. People who are dressed properly according to an occasion are significantly considered higher in confidence, flexibility, and success. It is not necessary to get the most expensive clothes to look good. You can fit your frame by getting the clothes tailored and hemmed you already have. Make sure that whatever you wear is clean, neat, and is appropriate for the work or a social situation.
Posture and body language:
The way you carry yourself tells a lot about your personality. According to experts a good posture can give a very powerful message to the people you meet. The best way to appear good with your posture is to slow down you breathing, pull your shoulders back, and down, stand up tall with your feet firmly on the ground. Moreover, keeping your shoulders square to the person you are speaking with will make you appear as if you are giving complete attention to what they are saying.
Be attentive to your hands:
Most of the people do not consider their handshake an important part of their meeting. But a handshake tells a lot about you. A simple strong handshake with good eye contact and a smile can attenuate the negative impact of possible misunderstanding. Hands are a visible cue for other to see your intentions, you sincerity, and also enhance your communication.
A meaningful eye-contact:
A strong eye contact is very important when meeting a new person. According to communication and body language experts, for developing a confident eye contact start by looking at the eyebrows or the space between the eyes of the other person. Do not blink a lot or rub your eyes when meeting a new person as it indicates your nervousness more clearly.
Establish your trustworthiness:
For a good first impression, you need to establish your trustworthiness with your behavior. You need to demonstrate it by standing or sitting straight when talking to someone and keeping your hands out of your pockets. You must listen actively what the other person is saying as people trust more easily when they feel they are being heard attentively.
Via: Entrepreneur
